[nyg052003]

Ok guys I bought an 8 yr old paint gelding 15.2 HH about 3 months ago. He is dark chocolate and white, now looks more black and white I guess cause of weather change. I like him and has worked with him some since I have had him. Overall he is a good horse but has some things he needs worked out. For most part he is a good horse.

I over word of mouth and talking to people, came across someone who has alot of horses and I went to the website and saw one for a good price I want. Its the color I originally wanted all along. I wanted a paint and the one I have is, but this one here is the color I really wanted. Talking to the owner, it seems as if mine and theirs is almost in same category as far as the little habits they have , and needing some work or a tune up to bring them to pretty close perfection if i must say lol. The horse is around 15-16 yrs old though but looks excellent and I'm wondering if I should go for the older one since it is 8-9 yrs older than mine. I guess 8 yrs old I can look forward to having him a long long time as to this one is much older can I possibly maybe have the horse say another 10 yrs before It starts getting to where it will need senior feed and stuff.

I guess I always believe in most things are better younger , like cars not that old and less mileage, ect. Help me out guys. Also we are talking about maybe doing a swap or maybe mine and a little cash so this might be a cant miss deal for me. Also the owner mentioned the horse is used to being around other horses, I think they have alot of horses, so would it be hard to get her adjusted to being alone. My dad might get one maybe next yr and keep here but until then she will be by herself

 

[Joe4d]

Always stick with the known evil, you know what the one you have is like. You ony think you know about the other one. Yours is younger and your work will pay off for many years. Color is the last reason in the world to buy a horse. The grass isnt always greener.

 

[Spastic_Dove]

Which one is trained better and what is your level of experience?

I think there's nothing wrong with selling your horse or swapping to buy one you want more. But there is more to the horse than colour and young is not always best. (Horses are not cars afterall and younger horses tend to have more temper tantrums than older ones).

Go try the horse out if you want. See if he suits your abilities and needs and then come to a conclusion.

 

[paintedpastures]

I don't understand why you would want to trade your current horse for one that is that much older, unless the older one had something else more to offer like better training &/or disposition to better suit your riding needs.From what you say though sounds like the 2 horses are pretty alike as far as that goes.The only thing you seem to be able to list to be a bonus this older horse is the "color" you like. Hardly a good reason to base a decision on:?

 

[nyg052003]

I don't understand why you would want to trade your current horse for one that is that much older, unless the older one had something else more to offer like better training &/or disposition to better suit your riding needs.From what you say though sounds like the 2 horses are pretty alike as far as that goes.The only thing you seem to be able to list to be a bonus this older horse is the "color" you like. Hardly a good reason to base a decision on:?

yeah, would be a plus if maybe they could let me keep her for a few weeks to just see how it goes. what feel for her I can get. I truly want to know that its worth doing and by spending time and stuff with her I',m sure I could get a hint of whats to come

 

[palominolover]

I'll answer the senior part... It all depends on the horse you'd just have to check out the horses over all health when you go and see it, there's nothing wrong with buying an older horse, he could be with you for along time to come =-)

 

[bubba13]

I think that swapping out a perfectly good horse for one "the right color" is about the dumbest thing I've heard today, quite honestly. I guess you aren't remotely attached to your poor horse?

 

[nyg052003]

I think that swapping out a perfectly good horse for one "the right color" is about the dumbest thing I've heard today, quite honestly. I guess you aren't remotely attached to your poor horse?

Oh he is not perfect , trust me lol. He still needs some work no doubt. So yeah really rushing to buy him in the first place just going off of the one ride when I went to check him out, I would say that next time I would have did a little more work with him at the place first before I committed to buying. So yes almost 3 months in, I havent really fell in love with him yet and starting over wouldnt be a negative if that other horse shows me some good things and i will take alot of time around her checking her out, riding her, riding on side of roads. Giving her a good test. I didnt do that with the mines, i just rode hiim around the guys pasture and yard area and stuff

 

[Cat]

Let me get this straight. You have one horse that is just entering his prime - and will give you many excellent years once you work on the couple issues. With how young he is - these issues will be easier to work on as well.

Instead you want to trade it for an older horse that is actually about ready to leave its prime, and still has issues that probably by this time are ingrained habits and will require more effort to work out.

All because of color? That's crazy.

Now I could understand swapping out a younger horse that isn't well trained for an older been-there done-that well trained horse if it fit their skill level better. But that doesn't sound like its the case here.

 

[Courtney]

Personally, I don't see what the big deal about swapping a young horse for an older horse. I recently sold my 2 year gelding to bring home a 16 year old mare. Granted, she is an extremely special horse to me and I just want her with me. My gelding deserved a home with people who would love him for what he was, rather than pining for a horse that wasn't him.

That said, selling a horse to buy one with a better color is silly.

 

[nyg052003]

Personally, I don't see what the big deal about swapping a young horse for an older horse. I recently sold my 2 year gelding to bring home a 16 year old mare. Granted, she is an extremely special horse to me and I just want her with me. My gelding deserved a home with people who would love him for what he was, rather than pining for a horse that wasn't him.

That said, selling a horse to buy one with a better color is silly.

Nope, not silly at all. Read my entire post. Its not like I have absolutely fell in love with this horse. I kinda rushed to get him and like I said had I done my homework a little more I might not have gotten him. And I didnt even say I was going to get this other one, it just depends on how it goes upon checking her out and If I think it is overall worth it. Plus this other horse is registered and mine I was told by the previous owner he didnt get the papers because the other owner and them was going thru a divorce and it was hard. He did tell me though how I could go about getting them. I tried to contact the people and no luck yet. Also emailed the AQHA and seeing what can be done.

so yeah it all depends.

Also, not just color, I like the overall build of the other horse. More stocky and muscled. Mine is more taller and lean and I have been holding the food to him. He has a nice build, just the other has a nicer composition overall

 

[chandra1313]

I'm a little surprised at all of the people on here acting annoyed about someone wanting a horse based on color, that's the first impression your going to get from the horse. I've personally watched the effect of the palomino on people, my horse is what I call red and he shines like a new penny with a beautiful mane and tail and gorgeous hooves but all the girls gush over this palomino with sparse mane and tail and so so hooves so when people say color doesn't matter I find that silly.

 

[nyg052003]

I'm a little surprised at all of the people on here acting annoyed about someone wanting a horse based on color, that's the first impression your going to get from the horse. I've personally watched the effect of the palomino on people, my horse is what I call red and he shines like a new penny with a beautiful mane and tail and gorgeous hooves but all the girls gush over this palomino with sparse mane and tail and so so hooves so when people say color doesn't matter I find that silly.

lmao.

I tell ya I made friends with a guy who had a nice red and white paint mare then he bought another one for his girlfriend. I rode both and wanted to buy one, the one for his girl and they didnt want to sell her. Then after I bought mine and he came to see mine, he was like " How come you didnt ask me to buy mine". Actually i mentioned to his girl that i wanted to buy her. Well I would have bought the horse from him no doubt. So yes that is the color I wanted all along. Another man has 2 he wanted to sell, both same colors I wanted. Only one though he actually wanted to sell of that color and upon riding her and seeing how she acted upon trying to put the saddle and bridle on her and how much she resisted after not being ridden in about 2 yrs, I didnt want that as my first horse and me learning and stuff too. I finally got to ride her and she still didnt feel right. Wanted to buck and kick some even after about 30 mins of riding her

so yeah i tried lol and thats why i think i have to give it a shot upon checking this horse out

 

[goodhrs]

Always stick with the known evil, you know what the one you have is like. Color is the last reason in the world to buy a horse.

I agree with keep what your know. There is no bad color for a good horse. You can't ride the color. JMO

 

[bubba13]

I'm a little surprised at all of the people on here acting annoyed about someone wanting a horse based on color, that's the first impression your going to get from the horse. I've personally watched the effect of the palomino on people, my horse is what I call red and he shines like a new penny with a beautiful mane and tail and gorgeous hooves but all the girls gush over this palomino with sparse mane and tail and so so hooves so when people say color doesn't matter I find that silly.

If you're buying a horse solely to impress other people, and don't care whether it bucks you off, or whether it's sound, or whether it's even capable of being ridden, then by all means, purchase for color and looks! In fact, might I suggest skipping the palomino altogether and going straight for the Friesian?

 

[Gremmy]

I'm a little surprised at all of the people on here acting annoyed about someone wanting a horse based on color, that's the first impression your going to get from the horse. I've personally watched the effect of the palomino on people, my horse is what I call red and he shines like a new penny with a beautiful mane and tail and gorgeous hooves but all the girls gush over this palomino with sparse mane and tail and so so hooves so when people say color doesn't matter I find that silly.

Well that's a matter of opinion. The first thing I notice in a horse is its build - this is a priority to me, followed by soundness, temperment, and ability - colour absolute last if it's a factor at all (and it can be practical, for example a grey show horse might require extra effort to keep clean, pink skinned horses needing sun protection etc).

IMO there's a reason why it's so often drilled to disregard colour; if you make it a priority it's very easy to miss flaws that will affect the functionality of the horse. Seeing colour as a first impression is something I'd expect from novices or non-horse people, but if you want to be a good judge of horseflesh and a conscientious buyer you need to be able to see past the hair.

OP, if this horse is better than the one you own now under saddle, on the ground, and in the eyes of a vet, and/or you feel more compatible with its personality I'd say go for it, but keep the colour out of it if you actually want to do more with the horse than admire it.

 

[Tremor]

Oh he is not perfect , trust me lol. He still needs some work no doubt. So yeah really rushing to buy him in the first place just going off of the one ride when I went to check him out, I would say that next time I would have did a little more work with him at the place first before I committed to buying. So yes almost 3 months in, I havent really fell in love with him yet and starting over wouldnt be a negative if that other horse shows me some good things and i will take alot of time around her checking her out, riding her, riding on side of roads. Giving her a good test. I didnt do that with the mines, i just rode hiim around the guys pasture and yard area and stuff

So you're not even going to try and stick it out for a couple more months with your horse? From what I'm hearing you haven't even tried to bond with your horse. How do you expect to do so with this other horse if you haven't done so with your ACTUAL horse.

Buying and breeding for color is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

 

[nyg052003]

So you're not even going to try and stick it out for a couple more months with your horse? From what I'm hearing you haven't even tried to bond with your horse. How do you expect to do so with this other horse if you haven't done so with your ACTUAL horse.

Buying and breeding for color is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

absolutely have tried to bond with him. I can say he knows me pretty well as do I know him. I didnt just bring him here and fed him and done nothing. So yeah surely have. Just one of them things it is right now.

 

[trailhorserider]

I made the mistake of buying a horse solely on color and she was a total witch and cured me of ever doing that again. (She was a chestnut tobiano Paint mare). But I still do drool over color. I think that's part of being human. I still drool over Brad Pitt based solely on his looks. :lol:

What's funny is beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You know all those palominos everyone drools over? They do nothing for me! I never have been one to drool over palominos or buckskins or dilutes in general. I am more of a pinto/leopard Appaloosa girl. Black is my absolute favorite color. What's cool about black is that it doesn't dress up a mediocre horse. An ugly black horse is still an ugly black horse. But get a beautiful horse conformationally in black, like a Friesian like someone mentioned, and then the horse is downright stunning! Or a black Arabian. Or black Percheron. Yeah, those are my type, lol!

But on the subject of THIS horse, I would just advise you to make sure you really like the new horse better. And I don't mean color. I mean training and temperment. Because you surely don't want to fork out money AND your current horse to get a horse you might come to find out you like less. At least get a trial period on the new horse in case it has some habits you don't like. You don't want to end up regretting your decision if the new horse isn't as wonderful as you expected. It's easy to drool over looks, but if the horse isn't as great as you hoped, you will have to live with it and then looks won't mean so much if you don't enjoy the horse.

That's my advice.

 

[trailhorserider]

I have never gotten a horse and then sold it because I didn't bond with it. (I did sell a couple of horses that were dangerous and could have killed me though). I find the bond comes through months and years of interacting with the horse and developing a trusting relationship over time. All I really ask of a new horse is respect and training (and hopefully good health). The bond comes with use.

But I don't fault the original poster for not bonding with the horse. Is it so wrong that he/she didn't fall madly in love with this horse? If the OP didn't bond with the horse and dumped it at a auction, then yes, I would be upset. But if the OP swaps this horse for another one, and the original one goes to a (hopefully) good home, then I don't see what's so wrong with that. Sometimes you make a mistake when you pick out a horse. But if he/she is responsible about getting the horse a good home, I don't see what the big deal is. The OP might be happier with the new horse, and the person swapping might be happier with the OP's horse. It might be a better match all around.